Grip strap



June 4, 1935. H, HfRUBxN ET AL.

GRIP STRAP Filed Jan. 5, 1932 |NvNToR 2n. h., .ff/'M mwa., oRNEY s Patented June 4, Y1935 f j Y UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE' GRIP STRAPV Herman H. Rubin and MauriceM. Balsam, New York, N. Y.; said Balsam assigner to said Rubin Application January 6, 1932, Serial No. 584,978 zclaims. (c1. MT- 354) This invention relates to an improvement in operative position. A further object of our inassist grips or hand holds having the Vgeneral vention has been to provide means, associated purposes and uses of the Well known automobile With the end device fastening means, whereby ttings such as robe rails which are suspended the mold may be held in normal operative posibetween supports at both ends and/or grip straps tion without the use of glue, thus doing away with I5` in which a pompon, gripping member, or the like, an undesirable ingredient in .the finished product. is fastened to one end of a suitable stem, freand eliminating the gluing operation to the adquently in the form of a piece of rope or cord, Vantage of the manufacturer.` the other end of said stem carrying a bracket Preferred embodiments of our invention are l0A or other suitable means for attaching the hand illustrated'in the drawing appended to the presen 10 hold to the interior of an automobile. Specification and in which Y 1 Our invention is directed more particularly to Figure l is a side View of'an assist grip having improving the means whereby the end devices, as a pompon at one end; the pompon, grip member, and/or the bracket Figure 2, a similar view enlarged and With the may be effectively secured to the body, stem or mold displaced to reveal the pompon fastening l5 tension member of an assist grip or robev rail of meanS; v the kind above described or similarV thereto. In Figure 3, a transverse section on the line 3-3 the case ofv grip straps it was long customary to of Figure 2; Y Y attach the pompon to the stem or cord by sewing; Figure 41a detail perspective VieW illustrating a but this was not satisfactory because the resultform of fastening means combining a clamp and 20 ing fastening was too fragile and` inadequate to a DOmDOIl engaging strap;

provide a yield point load sufficient to meet more f' Figure 5, a plan view of a metal blank from recent practical requirements in the automobile Which the device of Figure 4 may be formed;

trade; and the users of assist grips of thevsewed Figure 6, a Side View 0f all aSSiSt grip 0f the on pompon type found that the pompon became robe rail type with a portion broken away at one too readily loosened or entirely detached. In the end t0 ShoWdetailS 0f braeket fastening means;

case of robe rails and of vgrip straps, the sup- Figure 7, a transverse section on the line 1-1 porting brackets were fastened to the stems or of Figure 1 ShOWing details 0i the braeket faS- cords by various expedients many of which intoning means; and

volve expensive hand operations in manufacture Figure 8, a detail perSDeCtiVe VieW illustrating 30 and often prove inadequately secure for the a portion of the bracket fastening means shown n intended purpose. in Figures 6 and 7.

The defects above mentioned were remedied Referring t0 the drawing Whereiii We have ilto a certain extent by an attaching'device utilizluStrated preferred fOrmS 0f Our iilDrOVeCl aSSiSi ing metal parts, illustrated in Rubins Patent No. grips, Figure 1 shows a stem l, preferably 0f 35 1,703,321 and including a metal yoke or bail pass- SOIIle Suitable COmDreSSible material, aS 00rd, ing around the pompon and having its free ends fabric, and/01* rubber 0r the like, having a 130mclamped under a ring or the like encircling the pon 2 at one end and a bracket 3 at the other. lower end of the stem. This construction has A mold 4 conceals the means by which the 40 been successful in so far as it provides a secure pompon is fastened to the stem, While the bracket 40 fastening of the pompon or other end device fastening is concealed by a crocheted or knitted to the stem; but it has been found desirable to COVeririg 5, Figures 1 and 6- The DOIIlpOrl aS- simplify manufacturing operations by reducing toning device shown in the figures, comprises a the number of parts and/or eliminating steps in Single blank of sheet metal or the like, Figure 5,

the manufacturing process which have heretofore having a strap portion 6 and clamping or stem 45 been considered necessary.` Accordingly, a furengaging end portions 1 which are Substantially ther object of our invention has been to provide Wider than the strap 6 and Carry laterally eX- a reliable end fastening involving a minimum tending tongues 8. The clamping portions 1 are number of parts and adapted to be assembled provided with recesses or perforations 9, prongs with the stem in a simple and expeditious manner. l0 displaced or upset outwardly from the normal 50 In grip strap construction it has also been cussurface of the blank, and inwardly directed protomary to employ a ferrule, sometimes called a jections I9 for purposes hereinafter to be more mold, for the purpose of concealing the joint or ully explained. fastening between the pompon or end device and When in operative position on the stem I,

` the stem. This mold is commonly glued in its Strap 6 encircles a portion of the pompon 2 while 55 the end or clamping portions I of the blank engage the stem I near its lower end, the terminal edges II and/or the projections I9 of the blank being pressed inwardly into or against the stem to compress and securely engage the same. When the lateral edges of the respective clamping ends 'l are brought adjacent to each other by suitable assembling implements, a tongue' of one clamp overlies a portion of the other clamp in position to be deflected to engage the recess or perforation 9 thereof. In making theform of device shown, the free end of the tongue 8 is pressed inwardly through or into said recess or opening 9 in the other clamp, thus interlocking the clamping ends, and where the tongue is long enough, presenting an inwardly directed projection as I2, Figure 3 extending into and further compressing the stem.

The prongs IIJ projecting outwardly from the clamping members are arranged to permit the mold 4 to be moved longitudinally in one direction into clamp covering or concealing position, but to oppose the removal or displacement of the mold in the opposite direction. As shown, the points of prongs I extend downwardly and project sufciently beyond the outer'surfacesl of the clamping members to engage portions of the interior surface of the mold. When the latter is moved into operative position, the endsr of the prongs I0 may yield sufciently for the purpose; but, where the mold core is made of wood, or is of other suitable construction, the sharpened points will extend into or otherwise engage it, to oppose the withdrawal or removal of the mold.

The illustrated bracket fastening means, usually concealed by a suitable covering 5, comprises a single metallic member bent to form a bracket holding loop I3 between stem gripping or clamping portions I4 provided with inwardly projecting prongs I5. In assembling the bracket fastening device with the stem, as I of the-toggle grip shown in Figure 1, or I6 of the robe rail shown in Figure 6,7the clamps I4 are brought into stem compressing position and, Ywhile in Ysaid position, a band or ferrule II is slid into clamp embracing position and is there crimped at I8, or otherwise treated or manipulated to secure the clamps I4 in operative stem engaging and compressing position and with the prongs I extending inwardly and into the stem I.

From the foregoing description and statement of method of making our improved grip or hand hold, it will be apparent that we have provided a pompon fastening construction employing opposed stem clamping elements which are held in positive and practically unyielding engagement with the stem, as distinguished from other forms in which the security of the fastening is in great measure dependent on the stiffness of the Wire or other material used in the clamp. Our fastening device is of simple construction andeasily and effectively aixed to the end of a stem. Furthermore, when equipped with projections such as the prongs I0, the described clamping device also serves to retain the mold in operative clamp concealing position without the use of glue or other separate instrumentality for the purpose. The described bracket fastening means also utilizes opposed clamping elements which are held in operative position by any suitable device such as the band II or other equivalent thereof, thus maintaining the prongs I5 in effective engagement with the stem I to prevent endwise displacement of the clamps I4 when the stem is subjected to strain or tension.

We claim:-

1. An assist grip comprising a stem, a pompon and a pompon fastening member co-operating with the stem and having interlocking clamp portions at its ends compressibly engaging the stem and a strap portion integral with and connecting said clamps and embracing a portion of the pomp-on.

2. An assist grip comprising a stem, an end device thereon and a fastener having a loop portion to retain saidend device and opposed clamp portions compressibly engaging a portion of the stem between-them and a separate annular metalcollar embracing portions of said clamps and having a deformation extending inwardly be` tween the edges of the clamps.

HERMAN H. RUBIN'. MAURICE M. BALSAM. 

